John Mack

Originally published in the Britannica Book of the Year. Presented as archival content. Learn more.

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John Mack, American oboist and teacher (born Oct. 30, 1927, Somerville, N.J.—died July 23, 2006, Cleveland, Ohio), occupied the first-oboe chair at the Cleveland Orchestra from 1965 and was considered one of the top double-reed players of his generation. He took up the difficult instrument in elementary school and studied at the Juilliard School in New York City and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. His professional associations included stints as principal oboist with the New Orleans Symphony (1952–63) and the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.; 1963–67) before he was invited to Cleveland by maestro George Szell. In addition to his orchestral work, Mack led master classes and taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music and was the central figure at the summer John Mack Oboe Camp in North Carolina.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Karen Sparks, Director and Editor, Britannica Book of the Year.

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